I do, however, have a major problem with packing. It's the same problem I have with almost every other rewarding or productive pastime: I can't ever seem to get started.
I could call it laziness or focus deficiency, and I could blame anything from my genetic code to 21st century digital culture, but whichever way you slice it I'm still sitting in my jammies past noon on a Monday guiltily facing the plain fact that I've done virtually nothing to prepare for the biggest trip of my life, which is only two friggin' weeks away.
In a word: EEK.
The big question is, what do I do now?
When I faced with a problem that has no instant solution, I do as any good child of my generation should, and turn to Google.
I now have somewhere between 30 and 40 tabs open, and I'm hoping that somehow having pages upon pages of tips for packing and budgeting and culture-shock-avoidance and language immersion will, by the powers of osmosis, make me somehow more ready. Or at least spur me to start getting myself ready. That's reasonable, right? Osmosis is a... thing, right?
Um.
At any rate, the general consensus of these various online tips lists seems to be 1) read up, and 2) pack light.
Hoooboy. 1) something I haven't done, and 2) something I have a history of being terrible at. Not promising.
Aside from the endless vacuum of tips available in cyberspace, I also have a motley collection of more concrete resources at my disposal.
KEY:
1. Some glossy Study Abroad magazine my school gave me. Lots of print-heavy articles that zzzzzz,,,,
2. Relics from a time, at least a decade ago, when my dad thought he was going to teach himself Spanish. Why, yes, that phrasebook DOES come with a companion cassette tape!
3. My sister's old Spanish-English dictionary. I was with her at Walgreens when she bought it. For her 10th grade Spanish class. In 1996. I'm not sure either of us has used it since.
4. A birthday present from my dad this past May. I open gift. "Aweseome! A guidebook to.. Seville! Hey thanks, Dad!" Dad smiles. "You know I'm going to Granada, right? I did, like, tell you that part, right?" Blank but pleasant expression. "I mean, you know I won't be living in Seville... not that this isn't TOTALLY COOL." Nervous laughter. It's his own way of telling me he thinks I need to spend a bunch of time in Seville, apparently. Well arrright then, pops. I'll try.
5. Another, less bewildering birthday present from my father. Lonely Planet's guide to Andalucía. Handy!
6. Spanish language flashchart my grandma gave me. The most elementary language basics that I'd hope I'm in no danger of forgetting... but you never know.
Alright. Okay. I'm here, I'm ready, I've got the calendar marked and the information in front of me.
I just need to.. get.. started.
Go? Go!
I hope you started! Haha. Oh, and which of your parents is a champion Tetris player??? I didn't want to make any assumptions, but for some reason I was like, oh it's tooootally her mom. Haha. So was I right?
ReplyDeleteYes! My mom is the Tetris queen, whom all others bow before. Or something like that. STILL NEED TO START PACKING.
ReplyDeletesoon.
WRITE MORE POSTS!!!! I am in want of your beauteous writing once again. It has been too long, time for another post! I DEMAND IT!!! ;P
ReplyDelete